Refreshed Innocence
by Clairavance
Summary: Disc: FG copyright property of LJ Smith. Jenny x Julian. New Jenny, same bad boy Julian.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimers: The concepts and characters of The Forbidden Game belong to L.J. Smith.**_

_**Summary: Everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone excluding Tom! Anyway…so much for a happy ending sniff sniff I didn't know it would turn out that way either :p**_

_**Comments: Please gimme feedback! My grammar isn't the best and I need help improving. You're allowed to be as ruthless and brutal with your constructive comments as you like :D  
**_

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The grey winter sky was stained with black ominous clouds. The windscreen wipers battled feebly to rid the raindrops from the window. She could see blurry outlines in front of her for barely a second before another wave of water would wash over the screen. It was silent in the car. The only sound was the thudding of her heart and the whisper of urgency in the back of her mind. She had to get to Tom. She had to warn him, she had to protect him. They would be stronger as a team than individuals.

Dread and fear raged through her heart. She was breathless with anxiety and her muscles were trembling with tension. She glimpsed a red light and slammed on the brakes just in time. The wheels threatened to lock and the car slid to a halt before the white line. She sat for a moment, stunned, her heart racing up her throat. She watched traffic commence before her and leaned back weakly.

Her mind was whirling with fear and guilt. She knew she shouldn't have done it. She was too familiar with forbidden things and she had known deep inside that she was looking for trouble. Tempting fate. She hadn't properly thought about the consequence of her action. But it's been over two years and obviously her memory had become foggy. At least, the memories she had of him. She could recall scattered images of his beauty, vague and fleeting. Unreal. Maybe that's why she'd done it. None of her friends ever spoke about it, and it was never brought up or referred to in any kind of way. It was as though it had never happened.

Jenny herself had never thought about it much. She got distracted by events that were real and solid, like passing her drivers ed, waitressing at the local diner to save for her car, volunteering at the animal shelter, passing her finals and deciding which college or university she should apply for next year. She'd got caught up in life and thinking about shadow men and games had seemed childish and wasteful.

She didn't know what had possessed her to do such a reckless thing. Though at the time it hadn't seemed reckless to her and she hadn't meant for anything to happen. Or rather, she didn't _expect_ anything to happen. Why she'd chosen mythology as a subject to write an essay on, she would never know. She shouldn't have gone the extra mile, as she often did. She should have known better when she carved those runes into the piece of ply wood. It was meant to be an example only. She'd thought then that it was oddly peculiar that she was compelled to choose only certain runes. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The runes hadn't flashed or moved after she stained them with red ink. She didn't know she'd activated them. The only way Jenny could think that she'd given them power, was when she'd read her essay aloud to herself. But any of the words could have sparked it.

Jenny licked her lips when the light turned green. She had to get to Tom, fast. She didn't know how much time she had. It's been over a month since she'd handed in the essay and the rune engrave was without doubt lost in some junk yard – teachers didn't hold onto examples for school projects as keepsakes. It wasn't until Jenny woke up this morning by an unnerving sensation of being watched that she knew something was wrong. She had sensed a presence in the room with her. She felt something crouching beside her bed and it had been terrifying. She'd had the disturbing feeling that she was literally face to face with something she couldn't see. It was when she heard someone sigh, a long heavy sigh, and felt the brief touch of cold breath on her cheek, that she'd freaked out.

She couldn't remember being this terrified. Her mind was dishing out possible solutions to protect herself and untangled thoughts of how to explain things to Tom and her friends were storming in her head as she put her foot down lightly on the gas and the vehicle came into motion.

She was too wrapped up in her dilemma to take note of her surroundings. She glimpsed from the corner of her eye something big coming toward her at an insane speed. For a brief moment, the world seemed to pause. Her mind went blank and her body turned numb in shocked disbelief. There wasn't time to think or react. The impact was hard and turned her numbness into excruciating pain. Her body was jerked back and forth, at the same time shaken from side to side, violent unpredictable movements crushing her bones and cutting into her flesh. There was a terrible screeching sound of metal and she was vaguely aware that gravity had changed, too disoriented to realize the car had been tipped over and she was trapped upside down between a mass of steel and bent metal. Her senses were slowly ceasing and when something cold and sharp slammed into the back of her head and she was thrown into an instant black abyss…


	2. Chapter 2

Jennifer Thornton. Jenny Thornton. She sat on the edge of the bed, the pale ice blue dress bellowing around her like an enormous pond of cream. She glanced from the exquisite princess gown to the 'glass' slippers. They squished her toes uncomfortably and she knew she'd have blisters before the end of the evening. Her gaze drifted back up to stare at the girl in the mirror. Her blonde hair combed back and taken up in a mass of curls, radiating with a soft golden glow in the bad light of the room. Audrey had insisted she dress up as Cinderella for the annual Halloween school dance.

She met the pine green eyes evenly in the mirror. It felt like only yesterday that she'd woken up under a thin sheet with the sterile smell of hospital in her nostrils. She had been too disoriented at first to realize where she was and how she'd gotten there. Her friends had been there. She'd been able to name them without thinking. Michael and Audrey, Summer and Dee, Zachary her cousin, and Tom. But she couldn't recognize their faces even though she knew who they were. She couldn't remember anything else about them, and she still struggled to relate to them today.

The doctors said that her memory loss could be permanent but that wasn't a certainty. Jenny had been stunned when she was told she'd been in a car accident and in a coma for three days. Her instinctive reaction to the news had revealed something to her about herself. She was always cautious, always careful. It was a surprise that of all people, _she_ would end up in a car crash.

Jenny had been learning little things about herself since then. It would take time for her to fit the pieces of her life together and become the person she once was.

Jenny straightened her leg and flexed her knee beneath the bellowing dress. Her cast had come off only two days ago and it felt good moving her limbs again. The doorbell rang and she got up, surveying her image briefly before going down the hallway.

Michael and Audrey were standing at the front door, chatting to Mrs. Thornton. Michael was dressed in a black tux, his hair neatly parted down the middle and wearing a fake black moustache. A plastic hand was glued to his shoulder. Audrey was wearing a slim black dress that dragged around her feet in web-like fashion. Her porcelain complexion looked even paler against the long sleek black wig she was wearing.

Jenny smiled at them as they said goodbye to her mother and went to the car parked on the curb.

"Morticia and Gomez?" Jenny asked, just to be sure.

"It was Michael's idea. I just went with it." Audrey shrugged.

"No one else will think of dressing as the Adams family." Michael defended himself.

The high school auditorium was decorated with red drapes and plastic bats stuck to the walls. Music boomed from the stage and white dots danced across the room from a hanging disco ball. Jenny followed Michael and Audrey to one of the punch bowls, weaving through the mass of students. Dee was dressed as cat-woman, complete with cat ears and whip, and Zach looked strangely adorable in a Mickey Mouse getup. Tom was dressed up as a pirate – a very polished and neat pirate. Summer, in contrast, looked worse than Jenny when she'd been pulled out of the crunched up car.

"I'm a zombie." Summer explained to Jenny's stunned gaze.

"Oh." Was all Jenny could manage.

Everyone had a glass of punch before splitting up to mingle with the other students. Jenny danced with her friends and a few other guys who looked like eager puppies to be seen with her. She separated from the crowd a few hours into the party and went to sit on one of the chairs by the buffet tables. She glanced around awkwardly. No one was paying any attention to her and besides, it was a shadowy area. Jenny hesitated for a moment before leaning forward to pull off the hard uncomfortable shoes.

She sighed softly in relief as she rubbed her sore feet. She leaned back in the chair and watched people dancing and laughing. She was vaguely amused at all the different costumes. She spotted two sets of the Three Musketeers. There were several guys dressed as Prince Charming. There were vampires and werewolves, fairies, angels, devils, ghosts and zombies. A few Austin Powers. There 

was a couple dressed as Shrek and Fiona – Jenny thought they stood the best chance to win the Best Dressed competition.

Jenny spotted Dee dancing with one of the school jocks, and Summer was giggling with a bunch of cheerleaders at the punch bowl across the room. Tom was dancing with his girlfriend – Jenny couldn't remember her name but she found it odd that the girl resembled Jenny somewhat. Michael and Audrey had disappeared and Zach was dancing with two girls dressed as Barbie dolls. Everyone was enjoying themselves.

Jenny's gaze drifted from one costume to the other and then stuck on one that she'd almost missed. She straightened up to get a better look. Lost amongst the mob of swaying bodies was a figure clad in black from head to toe. It wasn't the costume that caught her attention. There were quite a few people wearing black hooded cloaks, either dressed as the Grim Reaper or as the serial killer from Scream. What drew her attention to this one in particular was that it was unmoving. The figure stood solidly. No one brushed against it, or bumped into it. No one seemed to take notice. It was like only Jenny could see it.

The cloak was a funny black that seemed darker than the shadows in the corners of the room. Jenny frowned slightly and looked away, glancing around the room before looking back at the figure again. The figure had moved and was closer to her now. It turned to look right at her. Jenny swallowed as the figure began to move toward her, seeming to glide across the floor. The face was masked in shadows and Jenny felt an eerie sensation that it could be Death itself. It didn't have a mask on, and it didn't have an arching weapon either. Just a plain black hooded cloak.

Jenny looked around, momentarily panicked. There was no one close enough to hear her shouts over the loud music. But before she could do anything, the figure appeared in front of her and seemed to hover over her.

When it moved its arms, Jenny expected monstrous claws to come out from under the cloak. Instead beautiful pale hands protruded from the dark folds and lifted the hood. Bleached blonde hair shone with strange silver shadows in the dimness of the room and heavy lidded dazzling blue eyes looked back at her.

Jenny's mind stalled. She was staring, she knew she was staring, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. He was beautiful in the most uncanny, unimaginable way. The sight of him was a shock to her senses and she suddenly felt unnerved by his gaze.

The corner of his lip twitched into a somewhat grim half-smile and he courteously held a hand to her. "Shall we dance?"

Jenny stared. His voice rang peculiarly familiar to her ears even though she couldn't recall hearing a voice so melodious and different before. He seemed braced somehow – like he was expecting her to slap him and tell him to go away. Jenny cleared her throat and blinked, cheeks flushing red as she finally tore her gaze from his and she put her hand in his extended one.

His palm was cool against her skin and his long slender fingers wrapped securely around her hand. Jenny got as far as a few steps with him when she paused suddenly and turned awkwardly.

"My shoes…" She said, embarrassed.

"Leave them." He looked at her, slightly amused as he led her onto the dance floor.

The first notes of _Kryptonite _ by 3 Doors Down had just started as they stepped into a close circle. Jenny was too aware of the stranger she was dancing with. His touch was feather light and his scent was both indescribable and pleasant, sending a rush of warmth through her. The world seemed to melt away around her and she savoured the floating sensation of being in his arms, her heart dancing lightly in her chest.

Her contentment was slightly disrupted when he spoke.

"I wasn't certain if you had meant to do it or not. I tried to stay away but…" His gaze lowered and he seemed to struggle to find words. "The last thing I would want to do is upset your life."

"What are you talking about?" Jenny asked, confused.

"The runes… you did that, didn't you? I assumed it must have been you, it couldn't have been anyone else." Uncertainty flashed across his god-like features.

Jenny frowned up at him, searching his face, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, I really don't know what you're talking about. Runes?"

He looked taken aback for a second and his own eyes narrowed in wonder.

"It _wasn't _you? You don't know who I am, do you?"

"Should I?" Jenny asked, surprised as hurt flashed in the depths of those blue eyes. A shadow veiled them and they turned dark.

"You've forgotten me." It was a statement, cold and bitter.

They stopped dancing and Jenny took a step away from him, staring. His bitterness quickly turned to amusement and a nasty smile bent his lips.

"I thought it was strange that you'd accept to dance with me. If you remembered who I am, you'd be _running_ with all your little friends in tow." His voice had turned ugly and Jenny frowned back at him.

"Why?" Jenny asked, shaking her head.

"Because I'm a hunter."

Jenny folded her arms across her chest defensively. "That's just… stupid. I should be running because you're a _hunter_? What does that even mean? And what if I choose not to run? You can't hunt something that refuses to be hunted, now can you?"

His amusement briefly turned to surprise before elapsing into an angry storm. "That's the way it's always been. You run, I chase. I'm a shadow man, I'm a monster that has been captivated by light, by the forbidden, by _you_. I wanted you from the moment I first laid eyes on you and I will do whatever it takes to have you."

His last sentence came out a threat. Jenny knew she ought to be afraid, but all she could feel was an insane giddiness and tender compassion for him. She would have called him crazy after his little speech of shadows and she would have been taken aback and afraid by the fierce passion in his words. She_ would_ have, but then she would have to call herself crazy for the butterfly sensation in her stomach and her skipping heart, too.

It was a moment before Jenny could find her voice. "I'm not running now."

He stared back at her and a look she couldn't define washed over his face. She could almost see the stone walls he'd built up being knocked down around him, leaving him open and vulnerable to her.

Jenny felt an indescribable urge to fling herself into his arms and cry.

She would have done it, too, if it hadn't been for the sudden change on his face. His eyes turned cold and his face hard, and his posture was that of someone ready to deliver a deadly blow. He was looking past her, a deep frown on his face. Hands clasped around Jenny's shoulders suddenly and yanked her away. Jenny looked around dazedly and stared at her friends in confusion and dismay.

"How the hell did you get back?" Michael was snapping bravely.

"If you lay one hand on her…" Zach started, just as angry.

"Jenny, are you okay?" Dee was shaking Jenny by the shoulders.

Jenny looked at Dee, then Audrey, and realized that their anger wasn't anger at all, but fear. The way Summer's eyes brimmed with tears, the slight quiver in Dee's voice, the way Audrey's lips were pursed together, the way Tom's hands gripped her arms.

"I'm fine." Jenny stepped away from Dee, frowning in confusion before looking back at the guy.

There was a definite air of danger around him now, but it hadn't been there a moment ago and Jenny couldn't find it in herself to be afraid of him.

"Go away, Julian. Leave us alone." Tom said, his voice cold and hard.

Jenny wanted to inexplicably start laughing. Tom was pretending to be defensive and unafraid, but his words were any cowards' easy way out.

"I'm not interested in any of _you_. I'm here for Jenny." Julian replied in a cold voice that put Tom's to shame.

"Get her out of here." Tom snapped at Dee, who obliged by seizing Jenny firmly by the arm.

"I don't think so." Julian responded with a cruel grin.


	3. Chapter 3

Jenny stopped in her tracks when Dee smacked into something invisible. Dee staggered back, holding her nose and cursing under her breath. Jenny's breath stopped short in her throat when the auditorium disappeared into shadow and the music was cut off. Silence roared in her ears.

"No!" Tom shouted, this time really angry.

"Not again." Summer whimpered.

Jenny glanced up and down, amazed and startled. Solid blackness so deep it was nearly blinding. She blinked at it, widened her eyes and blinked again. The auditorium had to be there, but her eyes couldn't adjust to the darkness.

"As things stand, Jenny is…available for the taking. Correct me if I'm wrong." Julian's voice was musical and vaguely creepy in the silence.

Jenny turned to look back at him. Tom's shoulders slouched in defeat and there was some unspoken tension between him and Julian.

"That doesn't mean you can just _take_ her." Tom finally spoke.

"I don't see why not." Julian said grimly.

"You're a _monster_. Jenny would never go with you!" Summer said in a shaky voice and recoiled when Julian glared at her.

"Go where?" Jenny frowned.

She bit her lip and her face flushed with humiliation when everyone, _everyone,_ looked at her in disbelief.

"You're joking, right?" Audrey was the first to break the silence.

"You're not actually _thinking_ about it, are you?" Zach looked disgusted.

"I…no." Jenny didn't know what was going on and she stared down at her feet helplessly.

"I'll give you an alternative. If Jenny will not yield to me willingly, then I will play for her."

Jenny stared at Julian in total bewilderment.

"A game." Michael said flatly.

"Yes." Julian answered just as flatly. "A game. Consider it a gesture of sportsmanship. I'm giving you the choice to fight for your freedom."

"Just like old times." Tom said bitterly.

Julian actually smiled at this. "You can win your freedom. If you lose, I win Jenny. And this time I won't be as lenient toward you vermin – I'll kill you." Julian glared at Tom.

"Believe me, the motion is mutual." Tom glared back.

"The stakes are set then." Julian arched his eyebrows.

"There's no need to play games." Jenny stepped forward and cringed at the looks her friends gave her.

"Don't let him intimidate you. We've won before, we'll win again." Audrey said.

Jenny only looked at Audrey before looking at Julian. "Like I said, there's no need for this nonsense. We can reach a compromise."

"Fine by me." Even as Julian said the words, Jenny saw her friends disappear in a blink of an eye. It was only she and Julian, cut off from the rest of the world, cut off from reality.

When Jenny looked at Julian again, his arms were folded across his chest and he was leaning against the darkness like it was a wall, watching her with curious blue eyes. Like a naughty child with the mindset to be troublesome regardless of threats or reason.

"I'm not some prize to win. I'm not ground to be conquered and I'm not a pet that needs to be tamed." Jenny said slowly. "We're not at war, Julian. I…" Jenny stared at the floor by her bare feet, thinking. Whatever her history was with Julian, it obviously wasn't good. But she didn't care, not really. "Let bygones be bygones, right?"

Jenny glanced up at him uncertainly and saw complete disbelief on his face.

"You once told me that you've forgiven me for what I put you through. I thought it was out of pity."

Jenny looked back at him and shrugged. "I don't see any point in bringing up the past if it was really that terrible."

"You're not going to resist me?"

Jenny nearly laughed. She found it difficult to imagine resisting him, but maybe once upon a time she'd been able to, and maybe she'd had good reason to then. But the emotions stirring inside of her were far too real and much too strong for her to deny. "No."

Julian seemed doubtful. He was glancing around the empty darkness around them, as if waiting for someone to jump out, pointing and laughing.

"You'll willingly be mine?"

"Yes." Jenny's heart fluttered.

"You'll come with me to my world?"

Jenny's eyebrows jumped in surprise. "No."

Julian stared at her. He didn't seem to know what to do. She'd already given in to him, but she refused to do what he wanted.

"I know my world is cold and… and horrible but it would be so much better with you there, Jenny. I'll take good care of you. I'll give you whatever your heart desires." Julian offered.

"Whatever my heart desires?" Jenny repeated.

"Anything. Say the word and it's yours." Julian confirmed.

Jenny chewed her lip thoughtfully. She straightened up and lifted her chin slightly.

"I want…" Jenny paused, trying to find the right words.

Julian had also straightened, as if ready to hand whatever it was she wanted to her right then and there.

"I want you to stay here with me. In my world. Where I belong."

Shock coloured Julian's face and his gaze filled with turmoil. "Jenny, I can't."

"You _said_ whatever I desire. Are you going back on your word?" Jenny frowned, confused.

Julian seemed to be racking his mind, and nearly stumbled away when Jenny stepped up to him.

"I can't deny what I am. I can't live in your world." Julian said, suddenly angry.

"What makes you think I can live in yours?" Jenny asked quietly. His unpredictable mood swings were throwing her off.

"I have power in my world. I can make you happy there." Julian snapped.

Jenny froze at the tone in his voice and for the first time felt a twinge of fear.

"If you have power then you ought to have the power to change. I can't change what I am, but I'm pretty sure you can." Jenny said slowly.

"Humans are known to adapt. You'll get used to my world."

Jenny glared at him, her own temper flaring. "Adapt? Like an animal, you mean."

"No, I didn't…"

"I don't _want_ to go to your world, wherever it may be. Either you stay here with me, or you put it from your mind that we'll ever be together. Take it or leave it, Julian. The decision is yours." Jenny snapped, breathing hard.

Julian's jaw was set as he looked back at her. They stared at one another for a long time, neither moving or speaking, gaze never wavering. Long enough for Jenny's temper to cool down.

Then Julian closed his eyes and gently rubbed his sleep. The way a person with a headache would. His hand slid from his eyes and rubbed his chin, looking at her thoughtfully.

"We've been through this before, Jenny. Shadows consume light, but light kills shadows. It can't be done." His voice was tired and defeated.

"So you're giving up without even trying to change that?" Jenny asked quietly.

"You're light, Jenny. That's why I've always wanted you. You're different from anything I've ever known. You're innocent, and good. You burn with an inner flame that warms me." Julian's voice was quiet, his entire physique subdued, and his eyes were deep endless pools dancing with overwhelming emotions.

Jenny didn't know what to say. His words touched her and left her motionless with her own crushing emotions. "Julian." She breathed.

"I was a fool to think I could have something so wonderful to keep and cherish." Julian spoke and this time, his voice was unstable and thick.

"Julian." Jenny said gently.

"I guess I've always known deep down. It would never happen, not to me."

"Julian," Jenny said, her voice touched with urgency. She somehow felt that she was losing him forever.

Julian glanced at her and Jenny knew it would be the last time she would ever look into those luminous blue eyes."I can't do this to you, Jenny. The forces of nature are against me. You're forbidden – you're sacred. I could end up killing you by trying to hold onto you. There is no possible solution. It's not meant to be." He forced the words out, bitter and shattered.

Jenny stepped up to him and reached up to cup his face, but Julian's hands stopped hers. She could feel a fine tremor in his touch and he lifted his hand to caress her cheek with a feather light touch.

"I'll always love you, Jenny." His voice as tender as his touch.

The world blinked and she sank to the floor weakly. The auditorium was empty, paper cups littering the floor and the disco ball unmoving. The silence was broken by her quiet sobs as Jenny desperately tried to hang onto the feel of Julian's touch against her cheek, Julian's voice clear and beautiful in her ears for a lingering second, the memory of those indescribable brilliant blue eyes before the details quickly came undone and foggy a moment later, dissipating into shadows and the forgotten like dreams tend to do.

It was a long time before Jenny could force herself to get up. Dawn painted the sky in pretty hues of pink and orange on a brilliant blue canvas as Jenny walked home. The blue reminded her vaguely of Julian's eyes, and she felt anger and regret blend with her tears. No colour on earth could begin to scrape the surface of resembling those cat-tilted eyes.

She knew Julian wasn't watching her anymore. His presence was gone and there was nothing Jenny could do about it. She had to accept things as they were, as hard as it was. All she could do was keep the memory of a lonely boy's forbidden love locked safely in her heart, and find her way through love and life in her own world.


End file.
